The large horizon Europe project DeRadicalisation in Europe and beyond: Detect, Resolve, Reintegrate more familiarly D.Rad gathered over 30 people around Europe, Caucasus and the Middle East from the 18 teams taking part in the project in 2022. The keynote speakers were from the European Commission, the funder. Project Manager and long-term de-radicalisation policy expert Tarja Mankkinen discussed the current trends in the prevention of radicalisation and extremism, and Project Officer Ilona von Bethlenfalvy what is expected from the project.
The project consortium discussed already published country reports and the fine tuning with the clarity to tertiary prevention activities that the commission is particularly interested. The reports are also published on the project website. The project further launched their recruitment strategy for research dealing with (18+) youth participation in particular in the partner countries' data gathering.
Also the curatorial concept was launched. It lead to a wonderful exhibition to be opened in Belgrade in December.
The consortium meeting was an opportunity for the HEPPsters to showcase their work, and introduce the case Maunula House in northern Helsinki to the partners. This was much appreciated. The meeting was arranged the week after our HEPP3 conference, the research group was invited for a joined dinner.
On the last day those who wanted stay did also take part in a discussion at the Kone Foundation premises Kamari in South Helsinki, with a joined research meeting and karonkka with the Now Time Us Space project. Ursula Reeger from the Austrian Academy of Science discussed DRad's urban space workpackage (WP9), which they co-lead with the Helsinki researchers.
Kanerva Kuokkanen from DRad Helsinki had also invited city of Helsinki's participation expert Borough Liaison Officer (stadiluotsi) Johannes Jauhiainen, to introduce the participation concept in Helsinki.
Members of the Now-Time Us-Space (NTUS) had curated presentations by themselves and other Kone foundation funded researchers. HEPPster Sabine Volk discussed the case of Pegida in Dresden, Roman Urbanowicz (University of Helsinki) discussed the Polish youth in Belarus, and Aleksi Lohtaja (University of Jyväskylä) discussed his thesis on Lefebvre and where to go next.
With researchers and research assistants, visitors from the DRad partners Giovanna Spanò (University of Firenze), and those to HEPPsinki like Cristiano Gianolla (Coimbra) the HEPPsters celebrated the mid-summer and end of the long spring term.
Last but not least we had our very own Taneli Viitahuhta, in his saxophonist persona Simultaneli, performing to us something that really enabled us to move towards the summer holidays. Thanks to our funder Kone Foundation for our support for the project and also this performance and space for the activities. We really made it from North to South Helsinki and the shore line.
Now, posting this 6 months later, we wish you all Happy Holidays! Days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere again..!